1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to system and methods for autologous blood transfusion and more particularly to a filtration system and method for autologous blood transfusion.
2. The Prior Art
Homologous blood transfusion is the well-known technique of collecting blood from a donor and thereafter storing the blood for later infusion into another patient. For many years, homologous blood transfusion has been the standard technique for replacing a patient's blood after surgery, obstetrical complications, traumatic hemorrhage and the like.
Homologous blood transfusion has evidenced a number of serious complications. For example, frequently elective surgical procedures must be postponed because of the unavailability of compatible homologous blood. In smaller towns and cities, there is frequently a lack of qualified donors. Also in larger metropolitan areas, there is a great need for quantities of blood to cover trauma situations and the increasing number of elective major surgical procedures. It is well-known that homologous blood must be cross matched to ascertain compatibility before the homologous blood is administered to a patient. Cross matching is an expensive and time consuming procedure and is not always effective in detecting blood incompatibility.
At present, the most serious complication due to homologous blood transfusion is post-transfusion hepatitis. The National Heart and Lung Institute has reported hundreds of deaths and thousands of cases of incapacitating illness resulting from post-transfusion hepatitis. Other complications, well-known in homologous blood transfusion, include isoimmunization, transmission of disease, incompatibility, hemolytic reactions and over transfusion.
These problems are substantially circumvented through the technique of autologous blood transfusion. Autologous transfusion is defined as the reinfusion of the patient's own blood. The desirability of autologous transfusion has been acknowledged for many years. Structure accommodating autologous transfusion is disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,608 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,733. Autologous blood transfusion may, however, pose undesirable risks to the patient if the blood is contaminated or carries undesirable particulate matter. For example, a patient may suffer serious thoracic and/or abdominal hemorrhage from traumatic injury wherein the blood may be contaminated with bile, fecal matter or the like. Even in surgical procedures undesirable fat particles and tissue are carried with the blood into the collection system. Until this present invention, however, no structure and method has been known which would accommodate effective filtration of a patient's blood for reinfusion without interrupting the ability to simultaneously collect the blood.